


A Sneaking Suspicion

by gooberAscendant



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Age Difference, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 22:25:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1664747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gooberAscendant/pseuds/gooberAscendant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fill for the prompt: Remember how absolutely mortified Rose was when her best friend started dating her mother?</p><p>(HSWC Bonus Round 1)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sneaking Suspicion

It wasn’t so odd to find Jade already waiting when Rose finally got home from piano practice. Her friend had no such extra-curricular commitments, and rarely wanted to go straight home after school only to trek all the way back to Rose’s an hour later. So Rose was used to finding her friend already settled in with a drink and a snack, reading or watching television.

But over the past few weeks, she had increasingly found Jade and her mother together, chatting over tea, discussing their favorite books or movies, or laughing over a story from school or work that day.

It’s not as though these things were particularly odd on their own. It was not unreasonable that a girl who was over most days of the week, lacking the friend she was there to see, might begin to socialize with the only other person in the house. And it is certainly not an undocumented phenomena for a mother to view her daughter’s best friend in some ways like another of her own children.

No, the situation until now, at a cursory glance, was not one to think twice about. Merely the formation of an entirely normal social bond.

What concerned Rose was more subtle. Something beyond a glance. The way Jade and her mother sat. The way they made eye contact. The way their conversations often ended abruptly, or they quickly looked away from each other, when Rose entered the room. Her mother’s smile when Jade waved goodnight. Jade’s change in tone and body language when Rose mentioned her mother in passing.

At first, Rose convinced herself that she was imagining things. Too many psychology textbooks and trashy soap operas must have clouded her judgement, and caused her to look too deeply into otherwise completely innocent details. But as time passed, it became more and more difficult to ignore the sneaking suspicion that something was going on.

And last night, her fears became a reality.

Jade had stayed the night, as was common on Saturday nights. The evening progressed as normally as evenings recently had. Occasional strange looks between Jade and her mother. Too long of a touch on the shoulder when they had gotten ready for bed. All things Rose had learned to discount.

The facts became more difficult to pass off, however, when she got up to use the bathroom and found Jade missing. Checking the downstairs bathroom, the kitchen, and the living room, she found no sign of the girl. But before she could grow worried, she began to hear noises emanating from her mother’s room. Faint moans and the squeaking of bed springs.

The horrible sinking feeling she had been fighting back for weeks finally washed over her. She stood still, seeking any other explanation. Her mother must be alone. Still uncomfortable, but a woman of any age has needs. Nothing wrong with that. No. There were two distinct voices. Her mother must have a new girlfriend that she had met at work or a bar or some other grown-up place. She had never expressed interest in women before, but then they had never really broached the subject. No. That was almost definitely Jade’s voice.

Rose returned to her room, but lay awake until Jade returned a half hour later, slipping back into the sleeping bag that was her temporary bed. Rose wanted to confront her, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. It was still almost a dream. Not quite entirely real. She stared at the ceiling for another hour before falling asleep.

In the morning, Rose awoke to find that Jade had already gotten up. She could smell breakfast, but was reluctant to make her way downstairs. What if she walked in on Jade and her mother doing… No. She didn’t want to think about it. She forced herself out of bed and down the stairs to the kitchen, where she walked in on only a normal-looking breakfast, her mother and Jade sitting on opposite sides of the table gobbling up bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Good.

The girls left soon after the meal, headed for the mall and then to catch a matinee movie. Rose spent the day trying to pry information out of Jade, using every bit of misdirection she could to avoid outright asking about her mother. Jade’s reaction was uncomfortable. Obviously hiding something.

Rose excused herself, citing poor sleep, after the movie, and headed back home. If her mother acted the same, there would be no more doubt. She hoped against hope that her mother would reassure her instead. Explain what was really going on.

“Last night,” Rose began. “Did you notice Jade getting up and, perhaps leaving the house? I couldn’t find her.”

“Oh, no, sweetie. She was in my room.” There was no hint of shame, nothing to indicate that she might be dropping a bombshell. Good. There must be a reasonable explanation then. “We’ve been sleeping together for almost a month now. She said she was going to tell you.” Apparently not.

Rose felt the floor crash into her just before losing consciousness.


End file.
